A great thread at KF is taking place with two of the worlds premier kite designers taking part. Very interesting. One thing you learn is that Bruno Legaignoux actively monitors the threads about bows at KF...interesting. And I guess Bill Hansen must also as he piped in to defind his designs.
http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopi ... sc&start=0
Bruno Legaignoux & Bill Hansen post at KF
Moderator: MK
Well that's a chance you take at any forum, with any poster. If you read his post thoroughly, they seem pretty genuine. If he is an imposter I think the real Bruno might feel compelled to expose him. If he is an imposter he's got Bill Hansen fooled, too.
Bruno does list a PM if you want to contact him
Bruno does list a PM if you want to contact him
It's interesting how these postings create a sense of distrust. I was there until some of our local guys (Steve, Tom, Dean ) started riding them and raving about them. I trust the reviews of these guys...and now others as well.
It is a bit of a psychological issue for me now. What cord do these kites hit that draws out such an urge to give complete reviews...way beyond..."rode this kite and think it's great". The reviews are so unique in character that it does generate a bit of mistrust. I was almost convinced early on that it was a marketing ploy.
Please don't get me wrong. I think the reviews are great, I am psyched that riders are so psyched about their new "rides", I'm just trying to figure out the "phenomenon.
Steve, you mentioned that you are just psyched about what the kites have allowed you to do and you want others to know about it. But I think there is something more there.
The thing that concerns me the most is the segmentation and rift that is starting to be created between the bow riders and the C riders. Almost greater than the tube vs foil division we had a while back. Tends to exist more in the dialog on the forums than at the lake. The great thing is when we are all hanging out post session, does anyone even remember or care what the guy next to him was riding. We're all just sharing our stoke; the guy who just picked up his B4 and got back to where he started for the first time, the girl who went 5ft higher than her last jump, the bow rider who is psyched about their new kite, the kid who nailed his first 360, and the executive who was able to free up his afternoon to get out and release the pressure of the week in the afternoon breezes. It's almost cliche', but universal and true (as Nathan and Jason have been pointing out)...it's all about the ride.
ride on, brothers and sisters, ride on
It is a bit of a psychological issue for me now. What cord do these kites hit that draws out such an urge to give complete reviews...way beyond..."rode this kite and think it's great". The reviews are so unique in character that it does generate a bit of mistrust. I was almost convinced early on that it was a marketing ploy.
Please don't get me wrong. I think the reviews are great, I am psyched that riders are so psyched about their new "rides", I'm just trying to figure out the "phenomenon.
Steve, you mentioned that you are just psyched about what the kites have allowed you to do and you want others to know about it. But I think there is something more there.
The thing that concerns me the most is the segmentation and rift that is starting to be created between the bow riders and the C riders. Almost greater than the tube vs foil division we had a while back. Tends to exist more in the dialog on the forums than at the lake. The great thing is when we are all hanging out post session, does anyone even remember or care what the guy next to him was riding. We're all just sharing our stoke; the guy who just picked up his B4 and got back to where he started for the first time, the girl who went 5ft higher than her last jump, the bow rider who is psyched about their new kite, the kid who nailed his first 360, and the executive who was able to free up his afternoon to get out and release the pressure of the week in the afternoon breezes. It's almost cliche', but universal and true (as Nathan and Jason have been pointing out)...it's all about the ride.
ride on, brothers and sisters, ride on
Tighe
yeah for those of you who don't know, the Legaignoux brothers invented the inflatable kite that many of ride today. Almost all C shaped kites are based on their original patent. They founed Wipika in the late 90's which was one of the first inflatable kite companies, Naish was the only other player in those early years. They later left Wipika and founded or played a role in the founding of Takoon. I think they are still with them.
In 2001 they designed the bow type of inflatable kite, so these guys are beef. They get a royalty (as Tom's post points out) for almost every tube kite sold worldwide. You could probably easily state with certainty that these guys know more about tube kites than anyone else in the World.
Great that they take the time to participate in a Kiteforum Dialog. I think it's legit.
In 2001 they designed the bow type of inflatable kite, so these guys are beef. They get a royalty (as Tom's post points out) for almost every tube kite sold worldwide. You could probably easily state with certainty that these guys know more about tube kites than anyone else in the World.
Great that they take the time to participate in a Kiteforum Dialog. I think it's legit.
Tighe
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steveb
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It's interesting what you say about the bow verses C rift Tighe.
I personally don't think there really is. I think the guys who get very aggresive on KF are mainly people in the industry trying to protect their marketing position.The others are sheep.
Cabrinha took an awful lot of the kite business in 05, I heard and posted earlier they are reported to have got 42% of the kite market. There was a waiting list to get xbows.
When you see the # of people posting how happy they are etc. it's probably a fairly accurate #. Even if it's 20% in a small market thats huge. All the noise was peons creating doubt about the technology so they could try to maintain sales of whatever they have.
A good example is the inversions of bows. They make a lot of noise about it, I've never had it happen. I know Tom has but he doesn't seem to think it's a big deal. The forum posters make it sound like armagedon. I think every kite has something, a small negative, you learn to deal with.
There are some people on KF, that if they are a true reflection of the kite community this sport would be ruined. As you know on the beach it's back to a great group of people sharing the stoke of the wind and air. Hype be damned.
I personally don't think there really is. I think the guys who get very aggresive on KF are mainly people in the industry trying to protect their marketing position.The others are sheep.
Cabrinha took an awful lot of the kite business in 05, I heard and posted earlier they are reported to have got 42% of the kite market. There was a waiting list to get xbows.
When you see the # of people posting how happy they are etc. it's probably a fairly accurate #. Even if it's 20% in a small market thats huge. All the noise was peons creating doubt about the technology so they could try to maintain sales of whatever they have.
A good example is the inversions of bows. They make a lot of noise about it, I've never had it happen. I know Tom has but he doesn't seem to think it's a big deal. The forum posters make it sound like armagedon. I think every kite has something, a small negative, you learn to deal with.
There are some people on KF, that if they are a true reflection of the kite community this sport would be ruined. As you know on the beach it's back to a great group of people sharing the stoke of the wind and air. Hype be damned.
The simple fact is that there is a huge market share power struggle going on with the major kite co's as we speak and buyers need to be aware of this. Follow your gut when making any purchace by trying before you buy, and hearing but not necessarily listening to all the hype.
Figure it out, your big boys and girls.................just KB's angle
Figure it out, your big boys and girls.................just KB's angle